The above subjects are coincident with burial, and
some of them, particularly mourning, have been more
or less treated of in this paper, yet it may be of
advantage to here give a few of the collected examples,
under separate heads.

MOURNING

One of the most carefully described scenes of mourning
at the death of a chief of the Crows is related in
the life of Beckwourth,[86] who for many years lived
among this people, finally attaining great distinction
as a warrior.

I dispatched a herald to the village
to inform them of the head chief’s death,
and then, burying him according to his directions,
we slowly proceeded homewards. My very soul sickened
at the contemplation of the scenes that would be enacted
at my arrival. When we drew in sight of the village,
we found every lodge laid prostrate. We entered
amid shrieks, cries, and yells. Blood was
streaming from every conceivable part of the
bodies of all who were old enough to comprehend
their loss. Hundreds of fingers were dismembered;
hair torn from the head lay in profusion about
the paths; wails and moans in every direction
assailed the ear, where unrestrained joy had
a few hours before prevailed. This fearful
mourning lasted until evening of the next day. * *
*

A herald having been dispatched to
our other villages to acquaint them with the
death of our head chief, and request them to
assemble at the Rose Bud, in order to meet our village
and devote themselves to a general time of mourning,
there met, in conformity to the summons, over
ten thousand Crows at the place indicated.
Such a scene of disorderly, vociferous mourning,
no imagination can conceive nor any pen portray.
Long Hair cut off a large roll of his hair; a thing
he was never known to do before. The cutting
and hacking of human flesh exceeded all my previous
experience; fingers were dismembered as readily
as twigs, and blood was poured out like water.
Many of the warriors would cut two gashes nearly
the entire length of their arm; then, separating the
skin from the flesh at one end, would grasp it
in their other hand, and rip it asunder to the
shoulder. Others would carve various devices
upon their breasts and shoulders, and raise the
skin in the same manner to make the scars show to
advantage after the wound was healed. Some
of their mutilations were ghastly, and my heart
sickened to look at them, but they would not
appear to receive any pain from them.

It should be remembered that many of Beckwourth’s
statements are to be taken cum grana salis.

From L.L. Mahan, United States Indian agent for
the Chippewas of Lake Superior, Red Cliff, Wisconsin,
the following detailed account of mourning has been
received: